Some parents note with concern that the child constantly scratches their ears. Most often, this unpleasant phenomenon lurks much more serious problems compared with the usual getting into the ear canal of a foreign object. Why does a child scratch his ears? We will try to find the answer to the presented question.
When should parents start to worry?
Firstly, parents should think about the possible development of diseases if the child constantly puts his fingers in the ear canal. In the most severe cases, children non-stop tugging
earlobes, tearing the skin. In the presence of discomfort, the baby may be in a bad mood for a long time, acting up. Such behavior necessarily requires the attention of parents to determine the cause of the phenomenon.
Causes
The mucous membranes of organs in a timely manner respond to the development of pathological processes in the body. The development of diseases can cause particular discomfort if the child is a year old. It scratches the ears of such a baby more often than older children due to the still unformed nasopharynx, where pathogenic bacteria easily penetrate.
Constant scratching in the area of the auricles may indicate the following complications:
- Otitis is an inflammation of the auditory canal that develops as a result of impact on tissues or foreign bodies on mucous membranes. With the development of the disease, along with reflex scratching of the skin, pus is excreted from the ear canal.
- Eczema of the auricle is a special kind of otitis media. It is rare in children. It manifests itself as inflammation of the mucous membranes with subsequent densification of tissues. In this case, the pain will only worry the child when the earlobes are pulled back.
- Fungal infections - the child scratches his ears as a result of increasing itching. The cause of organ damage by spores of fungi is insufficient hygiene. Treatment in babies occurs exclusively by medication according to the recommendations of a doctor.
- Allergic manifestations - a symptom of this kind of ailment is the reflex scratching of not only the ears, but also the area around the eyes. The child may manifest constant sneezing, profuse salivation, since allergies affect all mucous membranes.
- Psoriasis can begin with the usual redness of the skin around the ears. A clear sign is the formation of a rash. Without proper treatment, the latter will cover an impressive area of the skin, which will make the baby scratch his entire face.
- Colds are characterized by the development of inflammatory processes that affect not only the respiratory organs, but also the ears of the child.
Useful Tips
If a child scratches his ears, parents should not draw in their own minds terrible pictures of serious diseases. First of all, you need to check if there are any dirt, small debris, or foreign objects in the ear canal.
Some babies can often touch their auricles, examining their own body by touch. Children aged 6 to 8 months often exhibit similar behavior due to teething.
If there are suspicions of the development of diseases, you should go with a child to a specialist who will make a smear, which will determine the nature of the microflora in the ear canal.
Prevention
If a child scratches his ears due to improper care, parents are able to independently correct the mistakes made, as well as to avoid their repetition in the future.
It is recommended that the child clean the ear canals with sterile cotton buds at least once a week. At the same time, you need to ensure that small villi of the material do not get stuck in the ears. Performing the procedure does not need to be too zealous. Indeed, in the baby’s tender ear, it is quite easy to scratch the skin and even damage the eardrum. Ultimately, overly frequent, thorough cleaning of the ears can lead to the removal of important bacteria.
Isolation of the mucous membranes of the ear will be avoided by isolating the baby from contact with all kinds of allergens: flowering plants, animals, and plenty of dust. For similar purposes, a nursing mother should change her diet. Perhaps the child scratches his ears, as certain allergens enter his body along with milk. To strengthen the baby’s immune system will allow the doctor to appoint an appropriate course of multivitamins.
Drug treatment
It is recommended to resort to therapy with the help of chemicals only after making the correct diagnosis. Depending on the nature of the disease, the child may be prescribed: antifungal or antibacterial agents, disinfectant solutions, antihistamines against allergies. With otitis media, children are treated with drops with an anti-inflammatory effect.
Finally
Diseases of the ear canal in children most often appear as concomitant manifestations in lesions of the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx. However, you should not leave the problem without proper attention. Since the presence of even a small infection in the ear canal subsequently can cause the development of chronic inflammation, the occurrence of purulent processes, up to damage to the eardrum. If the child often scratches his ears, does not stop rubbing the skin for a long time, pulling the earlobes, performing other actions with the auricle, it is worth going for an examination to an otorhinolaryngologist.